


Artem Amatoriam

by SirJosephBanksFRS



Category: Aubrey-Maturin Series - Patrick O'Brian
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-25
Updated: 2013-05-25
Packaged: 2017-12-12 23:39:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/817391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirJosephBanksFRS/pseuds/SirJosephBanksFRS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephen invites Jack to the Crown for dinner and some long-awaited privacy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Artem Amatoriam

**Author's Note:**

  * For [esteven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/esteven/gifts).



> Written for dearest esteven on the occasion of her birthday, given that we are so frequently of a mind.

Knowing that Jack Aubrey would be receiving orders imminently to put to sea in _HMS Boadicea_ for the Cape and knowing that his friend, by any reckoning a very full-blooded man, had undergone a period of virtual complete chastity for many, many months, Stephen Maturin thought it opportune that they had walked together and alone to have dinner in the Crown as they very soon would have very little privacy for many months, if not for more than a year.  Jack's physical frustrations were written all upon his face, a fact that was immediately evident to Dr. Maturin if no one else. Such observation and deduction was scarcely required given their conversation on the way to the Crown about Jack’s desire to have a son.

 “There is no likelihood of another. None at all.” made it abundantly clear what Sophie was about. Not that Stephen blamed her in any way. He thought given twin infants to attend to twenty-four hours per day, he himself would desist from any and all potentially reproductive activities for a very long time, possibly years, if flight itself were not a possibility. But Jack obviously was not of a mind with Sophie, for he scarcely saw the activity as primarily concerned with reproduction, as he had been engaged in carnal exercise for over half of his life and only now was seeing the fruit of his loins in their full drooling and screaming glory. “He has that luxury,” Stephen thought,”for he was not brought to bed of one, let alone two babies.”

Still Stephen was vexed for his friend that in the interest of preventing another pregnancy, Sophie had apparently decided that no physical expression warmer than holding a hand or a kiss on the cheek would pass between herself and Jack and Jack was clearly most unhappy with that arrangement. “Now that the twins are eating their pablum and lactation is necessarily reduced,” Stephen thought, “it is more rather than less likely that her menses have resumed, in which case, it is indeed opportune that Jack should be getting away sooner rather than later. He has come to look like the village hound locked up when a bitch is in heat. Lo, it is a very crude and low figure, a completely unworthy figure, indeed, but it is apt enough. We are but animals ourselves and no intact male fares well when his mate is in oestrous and he is repeatedly refused.” Stephen thought, thinking of Jack's face when he was speaking of Ashgrove's reluctant heifer, his transparent identification with the spurned bull.

 Stephen, too, had sorely missed their nights together in his rooms in London, at the Grapes in the Liberty of the Savoy. Jack had been bespoke at home at Ashgrove since before Sophie's confinement. Captain Aubrey and Dr. Maturin had not been alone together for what was a very long time and Stephen had ordered dinner for the two of them quite certain that they would be dining alone. He would have been very happy with Sophie's company at table but knew without a doubt that given twin babies and her mother's presence in Ashgrove, he and Jack would most certainly be feasting alone. It did not require any Machiavellian manoeuvres to predict or affect such an outcome. Nor did it require a crystal ball to foresee that Jack would wish to take advantage of the momentary privacy. Stephen was heartily glad of it, extremely glad of it. His animal passions were of a lesser magnitude than those of his particular friend, but his dreams were an unerring bellwether and his dreams had been very specific and detailed as of late.

In Stephen’s room in the Crown, the soused pig’s face was gone as was the hare soup and the goose and truffle pie and the spotted dog pudding Stephen had ordered, believing it Jack’s favourite. The claret and most of the port were gone as well and the conversation had come to a halt. Jack, his belly full, was looking at Stephen with an expression that Stephen thought he knew quite well.  Stephen stood up and before he knew it, Jack’s arms were around him.

“Jack, let me at least have them come and clear the things.” Stephen said, pulling away from him. Jack looked almost stricken. “It is nothing, my dear, but surely we should be more comfortable with as much privacy as we may.” Jack stood, his back to the window and watched the serving girls removing the trays of things. As the door was closed, Stephen made the lock fast and Jack was beside him, his hands in Stephen's buckskin breeches loosening the girth as Stephen kissed him. "Faith, is there not a moment to be lost?" Stephen said and seeing Jack's expression, "Pardon me, Jack, my jest was poorly conceived."

"Stephen, pray touch me, I beg." Jack said, his voice deeper and hoarser and more desperate with desire than Stephen had ever heard it. Stephen's hand dropped to the placket of Jack's breeches and he rubbed against the straining fabric as Jack gasped and leant his head against Stephen's neck, grasping Stephen’s hand and pressing it harder against his erection as his breaths came in gasps. “Pray do not stop.” Jack whispered, almost panting. "Oh, pray do not stop."

"Let us disrobe, if you please. It is quite warm in this room and you have just had a heavy meal." They undressed in silence down to their small clothes and sat down on Stephen's bed. "You are so very sanguine." Stephen said  looking at Jack's florid face and he pulled Jack's queue to the side and leaned over and kissed him. Jack grasped his shoulders and kissed him like a man dying of thirst, pushing Stephen backwards until they were both lying down.

"I believe I have never seen your passion for me so inflamed, not even at the outset." Stephen said, stroking the side of his face. "I rejoice in it."

"It has been so long." Jack said. It had been six long months since they had last seen each other and ten months since their last opportunity to be alone.

"So it has, joy, and for that I am very heartily sorry." Stephen said, kissing him and reaching into his small clothes.

“Am I such a scrub, Stephen? It has been over a year now with Sophie. Some nights I feel as though I should go mad. I attend myself but it ain’t the same.”

“No, soul. You are no scrub. Surely you know that. I have missed you terribly and I beg your pardon for not having made it here sooner.”

"The last three months have been the worst. I thought of making an excuse to go to London, not even knowing if you were there. I almost went, twice. Every new moon, I feel as though I am losing my mind. Stephen, what is wrong with me?"  Jack said, rubbing his eyes. "There is not a goddamned shred of privacy to be had in Ashgrove Cottage and Sophie don't like me to get up in the middle of the night, for it wakes the babies. I was out in the jakes last night engaging in self-abuse like a youngster, to try to fall asleep.  Three times, Stephen, God rot my bloody soul in hell and I was more than ready to set upon you in the observatory today. Every new moon I think I should go mad, I am such a hostage to my prick." He groaned. "Do women have a season as animals do?"

"Certainly they do."

"How many times a year is it?"

"A year? Why, Jack, it is every lunar month, all year round."

"What?" Jack cried, "Every month?" He looked so appalled that Stephen’s jocosity vanished.

"Why, yes. A baby may be born in any month, we are not like deer or horses or dogs." Stephen said and he pulled Jack closer and kissed him deeply. Jack's entire body trembled as Stephen's hands ran over his prick and down between his legs to stroke his scrotum as he lifted it forward.

"Stephen, I have sweet oil; I brought it with me, tis in my waistcoat." Stephen could not restrain a smile and he reached for Jack's waistcoat and found the phial in his watch pocket. Stephen poured some oil into Jack's hand.

"Pray make love to me, soul. It shall do both of us such good." Stephen said, stroking Jack's very stiff erection.

Jack's hands trembled as he touched Stephen and pulled his small clothes off. He leaned over, kissing down Stephen's front and taking his prick in his mouth as he spread Stephen's legs and stroked his scrotum. He spread the oil in the cleft of Stephen's buttocks, poured more on his own prick and gently rubbed against his anus with his very hard and wet glans, leant forward to kiss him and bore down to penetrate him.

"Oh, Jack," Stephen sighed, shuddering as Jack's hand sought his prick out and his thumb slid back and forth along his frenular delta as Jack thrust slowly. "Oh, soul."

"I missed you so much." Jack said. "My God, Stephen, I have almost never been more glad to see you." He kissed Stephen's body hungrily as he slowly thrust, kissing his nipples, then his neck and then kissing Stephen's ear, breathing into it and his tongue caressing it gently.

"Nor I you, Jack." Stephen said, grasping him around and the hips, holding him and moving his own hips against Jack and moaning in spite of himself. "Oh, joy; oh, dear dear joy." Stephen said, panting lightly. "I have missed you extremely as well."

"I only wish I could stay all afternoon and then all night, but it will not do." Jack said. “I should never hear the end of it from Mother Williams.”

"No." Stephen agreed.

"May we please go to London? I will ask Sophie if I might. Two days, old Stephen, if you please, dear, dear Stephen." Jack said, kissing his neck and moaning.

"I regret it is not possible, Jack, but you shall have plenty of my company, I promise, dearest soul. Oh, Jack," Stephen said, his whole body stiffening as he spent copiously in Jack's hand. Then he moved in tempo with Jack, feeling the sweet spot between them, listening to Jack's breathing and gasps. Jack's tempo increased and their hips moved in a sort of syncopation and Stephen was immensely gratified by Jack's sharp gasp and moan as he spent. Stephen realized to his own chagrin that he had unknowingly loosened Jack's queue so that his hair was entirely loose, so engaged had his hands been in Jack's hair as they made love. They lay there not moving for what seemed a very long time, holding each other and listening to the sounds of their own heartbeats slowing. Then Jack kissed Stephen long and hard before disengaging from his body and sitting up.

He stood and brought them each a towel and the basin of water and they did their libations and then he handed Stephen his glass of leftover port. They drank and Jack started to dress.

"Upon my word, I do feel a new man." Jack said.  Stephen stood and put on his small clothes and then his stockings and breeches.

"I beg your pardon, Jack, I quite forgot myself and loosened your queue." Jack laughed.

"No matter. I can do it in a few seconds."

"Not yet, if you please." Stephen said, feeling sheepish. "Come sit next to me for a moment." Jack did and they fell in each other's arms kissing again, Stephen stroking his hair. Jack embraced him hard and pulled his mouth away from Stephen's.

"Dearest Stephen, promise me I will see you before another month goes by, promise me I will be with you away from Ashgrove again by the next new moon." Jack said, very seriously and Stephen thought with the slightest hint of desperation.

"With all my heart, dearest soul. With all my heart." Stephen said, his eyes shining with the happiness that comes only of being able to attest fully to a complete truth.

 


End file.
